Posted by Sean 04 May 2009
In the softer, surprisingly intimate hymnal sections, [Sir Colin Davis] drew from the [Tanglewood Festival Chorus] a warm and handsomely blended tone. At the other extreme, the climaxes sounded satisfyingly full, drenching the hall with sound but never overpowering the space. Organist John Finney gave a particularly elegant introduction to the “Tibi omnes” movement, and tenor soloist Matthew Polenzani was lyrically fluid.
From Jeremy Eichler’s Boston Globe review of Berlioz’s Te Deum this past weekend.
Posted by Sean 09 Feb 2009
The real heroes of this performance were Levine, the orchestra, and John Oliver’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus (some 125 voices). The men in the chorus stood in the middle, so that this opera’s fundamentally dark undercurrent was smack in the center, surrounded by the women’s radiant voices. Singing as usual without scores, and with even more than usual precision and character, the TFC also exploded into convincing angry-mob cacophony.
From Lloyd Schwartz’s Boston Phoenix review of Verdi’s opera Simon Boccanegra.
Posted by Sean 10 Dec 2008
Throughout the evening, the hundred-member [Tanglewood Festival Chorus] sang with a range of color, an agility and an attention to text and detail that any soloist would envy. The roaring ovation that greeted them at the conclusion of the performance confirmed their triumph.
From Kalen Ratzlaff’s Opera News review of Ein Deutsches Requiem.
Posted by Sean 29 Sep 2008
The real star of the evening was the [Tanglewood Festival] chorus. Many groups sing this piece; few do so with the depth, precision, and focused sound the TFC marshaled. They made it seem effortless at the opening and showed remarkably little strain by the end. Through their voices emerged the interplay between death and life that lies at the core of this great work.
From David Weininger’s review of Friday’s Ein Deutsches Requiem. For me, Saturday’s performance was even more moving. The sound of complete silence at the end of the piece was better than any amount of applause.
Posted by Sean 25 Sep 2008
Photo by Sean Santry
These windows above the second balcony in Boston’s Symphony Hall had been boarded up for at least 30 years.
Well now they’re open and add a lovely natural light to an already beautiful space.
